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Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
cheers!
welcome 2013!
against all odds we survived the mayan apocalypse and didn't fall off the fiscal cliff.
here's hoping this new year is filled with more love and peace than we saw in 2012. the news is so persistently full of violence and our leaders seem stuck in a position of juvenile obstinance. i don't claim to have the answers, but can't imagine that if we all dare to be better than we have to, make thoughtful compromises, and most importantly, cultivate love then we can't vere too far off the path.
merry.
merry christmas to those who celebrate and happy tuesday to those whom christianity isn't their jam.
folks who follow the blog know that we've been busy with renovation projects. the goal is to have the second floor back together by new years. that will be an excellent gift!
in the last few months there have been two birthdays, a big anniversary, two holidays and numerous other celebrations. it's been a joyous and exhausting time.
i admit that i am looking forward to slowing things down a bit in the new year and refocusing on self-improvement!
may you all be happy and find peace along the way!
the moon and a pub crawl.
here's a cool little video on our moon's history, showing the reasons why it looks the way it does.
on an unrelated note, happy st patrick's day. i admit this is a holiday i don't normally acknowledge. it's funny that a religious observance became so associated with heavy drinking...but i suppose easter's mutations are just as odd.
this year adam and i are meeting our good friend, tara in saratoga for a pub crawl. tara may or may not be one of the anonymous friends documented this memorable night out but she was definitely a part of this adventure. wish me luck...
cheers!
 |
| ("winter bear". my illustration for this years holiday card.) |
we have already celebrated twice and still have one more gathering to go. it's hard to believe i could possibly eat more, but i suspect i will find a way.
cheers!
knee deep.
i am completely engrossed in a commissioned project right now and it is leaving me little spare mental power to put meaningful words together into a post here.'tis the season to feel overwhelmingly busy and one step behind. try as i might to avoid that trap, it seems that i always find myself digging out and trying to justify down-time.
i suppose i am no different than the rest of us mere mortals, trying to slow time down unrealistically. when things seem to be spinning, hot tea helps and so does turning the television off. (we have a terrible household habit of the television being on even if no one is watching it.) i find that taking the time to prepare a recipe or snap some photographs puts time back on track too.
what ways do you all stay sane this time of year?
happy fourth!
i hope everyone is enjoying their fourth of july!
we are laying low, quite literally, after having some good times with friends yesterday.
tomorrow is back to the grind, which includes the gym. it's ironic that i've gotten a little off track considering i just had the dress fitted.
oh well, life is for living right?
three days.
whoa.
it's been an exhausting holiday weekend; which is slightly ironic considering the fact that i don't feel like i "accomplished" anything substantial in the arena of artwork or housework.
in lieu of projects and tasks we filled the days with lakeside parties and dinners outdoors. we got enough sun on our skin to turn a little color even with multiple doses of pasty, suffocating sunblock. i definitely ate too many salty things, but potato chips are so worth the next day puffiness!
also, we received our first returned rsvps and i'm happy to say that we officially have guests attending our wedding...not that i was worried or anything.
i hope you all had an excellent weekend; extended or otherwise!
day two.
happy two thousand eleven!
isn't it exciting?
no really, please remember that january 1st is not just another day, it's a NEW year; a time for making big expansive promises to yourself and others that you may or may not keep!
what makes the first day of the gregorian calendar so important that it is a better time to reform yourself than any other day of the year? would it be more productive to constantly re-evaluate yourself and your goals on a daily basis rather than once every 365 days? i am not sure, but it is sure fun and often inspiring to hear everyone's resolutions.
i firmly believe that self reflection and setting personal goals is essential. i prefer setting humble, everyday goals and relishing those small successes. little steps always take you down a longer path and small changes accumulate over time.
don't get me wrong, new years is actually one of my favorite holidays. it is relatively meaningless, without a gigantic tangle of religious or political subtext. new years eve is a harmless excuse to celebrate your having survived another year, imbibe, over indulge and be grateful for your friends and family.
i spent my new years eve as the sober driver. i enjoy a few drinks but am rather persnickety about mixing alcohol and massive hunks of steel moving at high speeds. i love my friends and want them to stay alive; even the ones who persistently want to poison me with shots of strong liquor.
being the sober person in a bar full of intoxicated people in the wee hours of new years day is a bewildering experience. my non-scientific observations show that it is a pretty universal theme that drunk people think they are acting much funnier and sexier than reality proves. luckily, people who are intoxicated have a lower standard for funniness and sexiness than they do when less alcoholically challenged. simple tasks such as getting into a car, urinating in a socially acceptable area or keeping your head inside a moving vehicle become exceptionally difficult, if not impossible, foradam and my friends those with bellies full of adult beverages.
i am happy to say that everyone under my wing returned home safely, although one little bird spent the first day of his new year recovering on the couch.
every day is an adventure, how lucky to start a new one every morning!
isn't it exciting?
no really, please remember that january 1st is not just another day, it's a NEW year; a time for making big expansive promises to yourself and others that you may or may not keep!
what makes the first day of the gregorian calendar so important that it is a better time to reform yourself than any other day of the year? would it be more productive to constantly re-evaluate yourself and your goals on a daily basis rather than once every 365 days? i am not sure, but it is sure fun and often inspiring to hear everyone's resolutions.
i firmly believe that self reflection and setting personal goals is essential. i prefer setting humble, everyday goals and relishing those small successes. little steps always take you down a longer path and small changes accumulate over time.
don't get me wrong, new years is actually one of my favorite holidays. it is relatively meaningless, without a gigantic tangle of religious or political subtext. new years eve is a harmless excuse to celebrate your having survived another year, imbibe, over indulge and be grateful for your friends and family.
i spent my new years eve as the sober driver. i enjoy a few drinks but am rather persnickety about mixing alcohol and massive hunks of steel moving at high speeds. i love my friends and want them to stay alive; even the ones who persistently want to poison me with shots of strong liquor.
being the sober person in a bar full of intoxicated people in the wee hours of new years day is a bewildering experience. my non-scientific observations show that it is a pretty universal theme that drunk people think they are acting much funnier and sexier than reality proves. luckily, people who are intoxicated have a lower standard for funniness and sexiness than they do when less alcoholically challenged. simple tasks such as getting into a car, urinating in a socially acceptable area or keeping your head inside a moving vehicle become exceptionally difficult, if not impossible, for
i am happy to say that everyone under my wing returned home safely, although one little bird spent the first day of his new year recovering on the couch.
every day is an adventure, how lucky to start a new one every morning!
whistling dixie.
adam and i took our annual memorial day vacation road trip to virginia beach to visit my father. an added bonus was the fact that my brother, future sister-in-law and nephew made the trip too.
adam and i have the comfortable car ride silence down to a science. no awkwardness, just relaxing. audio books are essential and we completed two on this journey; Darkfall by Dean Koontz and In the Dark of Night by John Saul. the latter was the better of the two. Darkfall gave away too much in the beginning and i didn't dig the whole voodoo thing.
for road side food shacks and other regional curiosities, we stopped at the machipongo clam shack. being vegetarian, i don't eat seafood but adam has none of my dietary restrictions. none the less, i can certainly appreciate a local beer and some french fries!
different from previous years, we got a hotel room right on the beach. listening to the ocean every night was incredibly relaxing and waking up to awesome sunrises didn't hurt either.
time flies, especially when you're on vacation but getting back to our furry children was motivation to come home. thinking of how excited the dog and cats would be was enough to power us through those draining new jersey miles. a trip to ikea helped too.
i can't tell a lie...the view from our bedroom window pales in comparison to this:
adam and i have the comfortable car ride silence down to a science. no awkwardness, just relaxing. audio books are essential and we completed two on this journey; Darkfall by Dean Koontz and In the Dark of Night by John Saul. the latter was the better of the two. Darkfall gave away too much in the beginning and i didn't dig the whole voodoo thing.
for road side food shacks and other regional curiosities, we stopped at the machipongo clam shack. being vegetarian, i don't eat seafood but adam has none of my dietary restrictions. none the less, i can certainly appreciate a local beer and some french fries!
different from previous years, we got a hotel room right on the beach. listening to the ocean every night was incredibly relaxing and waking up to awesome sunrises didn't hurt either.
we caught some live music. the hotel bar hosted nature's child, a five piece live reggae band the first night. on our final night, adam and i met up with my father to see the yardbirds in the outdoor neptune park right next door to our hotel. while they only have two of their original band members, it was still a good show.
i can't tell a lie...the view from our bedroom window pales in comparison to this:
holiday spirit.
this time of year is often very conflicted for me.
it is such a confusing cloud of religion, consumerism and materialism.
although very loosely raised a lutheran, i don't hold any real attachment to christianity now. there was a time when i looked to find a religion that "fit" my beliefs but i never found much success.
basically, i believe that our job "here" is to be happy, live simply and improve life around us in whatever small way we can manage. respect everything and everyone's beliefs even if they seem to conflict with your own.
that's it. no judgments, threats, obligations, punishments, ceremonies, preaching, conversions, praying, idols, special hats, etc.
having said that, i respect christmas and what the core value of it is. but generally i don't think that christmas is about jesus for most folks who celebrate it. it's about the rush to buy stuff and show love through being a consumer.
does this stuff enrich us? does it make us happier? most importantly, does the stuff even matter?
it seems a bit twisted to me.
certainly, i am not even addressing the fact that the united states is a multicultural nation where not everyone is a christian (face it! it's not a bad thing!!!). and that by adopting christmas as a nationally celebrated holiday, we are unofficially adopting christianity as our unofficial religion. and that throwing in hanukkah is a very token attempt to be open minded. and that still ignores the multitude of other religions that exist. well, you get the point...
bah humbug, right?
it is such a confusing cloud of religion, consumerism and materialism.
although very loosely raised a lutheran, i don't hold any real attachment to christianity now. there was a time when i looked to find a religion that "fit" my beliefs but i never found much success.
basically, i believe that our job "here" is to be happy, live simply and improve life around us in whatever small way we can manage. respect everything and everyone's beliefs even if they seem to conflict with your own.
that's it. no judgments, threats, obligations, punishments, ceremonies, preaching, conversions, praying, idols, special hats, etc.
having said that, i respect christmas and what the core value of it is. but generally i don't think that christmas is about jesus for most folks who celebrate it. it's about the rush to buy stuff and show love through being a consumer.
does this stuff enrich us? does it make us happier? most importantly, does the stuff even matter?
it seems a bit twisted to me.
certainly, i am not even addressing the fact that the united states is a multicultural nation where not everyone is a christian (face it! it's not a bad thing!!!). and that by adopting christmas as a nationally celebrated holiday, we are unofficially adopting christianity as our unofficial religion. and that throwing in hanukkah is a very token attempt to be open minded. and that still ignores the multitude of other religions that exist. well, you get the point...
bah humbug, right?
fourth of july weekend.
here are some things i learned this weekend:
it's a good idea to check your tent site for goose poop before setting up.
dinner is best served before 11PM; especially when people have been drinking all day.
being the only vegetarian at a four-day-straight barbecue camp-out is a challenge.
boys (and by boys, i mean grown men) would rather pee in a lake than go to the toilet.
chocolate and cayenne really do go together well.
nobody likes the guy who shows up to the party with no food or booze, but stays all night.
i make a pretty good oatmeal cookie.
non-vegetarians are freaked out by tempeh.
lakes are cool, but friends are better.
some thoughts for the holiday
i am home for lunch today.
i just returned from two "home visits". i do a lot of driving for my job as i work with folks living in three different counties. i don't mind the driving; especially on days like today.
i find that the drive helps me to clear my head. often when leaving visits with folks i am overwhelmed with the amount of information gathered, or the staggering barriers to improving outcomes. i spend my time with clients being centered and focused; not revealing the internal chaos of my brain trying to formulate a realistic plan. these folks have more than enough chaos and don't need to worry about mine.
being that it's the holiday season, there's a lot of extra effort and coordination. there are donated gifts from local churches. there are bags of toiletries. our volunteers go out of their way to bring a little festivity to folks who would otherwise be alone and without celebration. we also have food baskets that are put together by the local salvation army.
this is all fantastic, but there is also the logistics of getting these things to the people they were intended for. spread out over three counties and most without their own transportation, this becomes a major headache. an additional paradox is the fact that activities not linked to medical outcomes (i.e. delivering holiday gifts or food baskets) are not approved ways for a medical case manager to spend her time. in other words, it's not something i am supposed to be doing (per the omnipotent folks who run MEDICAID). so i have to "hide" these "deliveries" inside other "true" case management activities.
all of this brings an air of dread to something that should be a heart-warming and humbling activity.
but then you actually meet with your client....
and all of that apprehension goes away.
my first visit was with a gentleman who is currently homeless. he is substance addicted and has been "banned" from the local shelter. he is being sanctioned by the local DSS and cannot receive cash grants, food stamps or emergency housing. he currently has no health insurance. he is completely without. i brought him a new winter jacket and a basket of food and toiletries. he has nowhere to keep these things so i brought him to his sister's home. his sister lives in public housing. this particular public housing development is in a city known for it's rich folks and posh summer sport, Thoroughbred horse racing. the public housing apartments are old and run down. the parking lot is not plowed and there is over a foot of old snow. the concrete steps are all covered in thick ice. it's a hazard, but my client would be eternally grateful to live in a government funded dump like this. it's sure better than the streets.
my second visit was with a woman who is the best example of a survivor i have ever seen. she has been chronically homeless and substance addicted all of her adult life. she has been beaten to near death many times. she's been in and out of multiple rehabs and psychiatric hospitals since being a teenager. she is currently recovering from yet another assault from a former "lover". for the holidays she will have a drain in her scalp from the contusion which is abscessed. she is unstable on her feet and couldn't help me carry her food and gifts because of the concussion she suffered when her head was slammed multiple times against a tile floor.
these are people who are grateful for any shred they are given. they are completely overlooked by most of society; if not discriminated against (did i happen to mention that all of my clients have HIV/AIDS?).
so on my drive back to the office i have a head full of things...
i think how sad it is that there are people who feel they have nothing to celebrate. they are so demoralized they cannot see a way out. i think about the contrast of this richy-rich town and how they treat their poor. i think about how nice it would be if my folks could just have a "day off" from their lives-to just be able to relax and not worry about their next meal.
but most of all i think of the explosion of pure joy that happens when i get to be the one to bring these folks the only gifts they may receive all season (if not all year).
i get the privilege of showing them that not everyone has forgotten about them.
it kind of makes me want to get back to work...
i just returned from two "home visits". i do a lot of driving for my job as i work with folks living in three different counties. i don't mind the driving; especially on days like today.
i find that the drive helps me to clear my head. often when leaving visits with folks i am overwhelmed with the amount of information gathered, or the staggering barriers to improving outcomes. i spend my time with clients being centered and focused; not revealing the internal chaos of my brain trying to formulate a realistic plan. these folks have more than enough chaos and don't need to worry about mine.
being that it's the holiday season, there's a lot of extra effort and coordination. there are donated gifts from local churches. there are bags of toiletries. our volunteers go out of their way to bring a little festivity to folks who would otherwise be alone and without celebration. we also have food baskets that are put together by the local salvation army.
this is all fantastic, but there is also the logistics of getting these things to the people they were intended for. spread out over three counties and most without their own transportation, this becomes a major headache. an additional paradox is the fact that activities not linked to medical outcomes (i.e. delivering holiday gifts or food baskets) are not approved ways for a medical case manager to spend her time. in other words, it's not something i am supposed to be doing (per the omnipotent folks who run MEDICAID). so i have to "hide" these "deliveries" inside other "true" case management activities.
all of this brings an air of dread to something that should be a heart-warming and humbling activity.
but then you actually meet with your client....
and all of that apprehension goes away.
my first visit was with a gentleman who is currently homeless. he is substance addicted and has been "banned" from the local shelter. he is being sanctioned by the local DSS and cannot receive cash grants, food stamps or emergency housing. he currently has no health insurance. he is completely without. i brought him a new winter jacket and a basket of food and toiletries. he has nowhere to keep these things so i brought him to his sister's home. his sister lives in public housing. this particular public housing development is in a city known for it's rich folks and posh summer sport, Thoroughbred horse racing. the public housing apartments are old and run down. the parking lot is not plowed and there is over a foot of old snow. the concrete steps are all covered in thick ice. it's a hazard, but my client would be eternally grateful to live in a government funded dump like this. it's sure better than the streets.
my second visit was with a woman who is the best example of a survivor i have ever seen. she has been chronically homeless and substance addicted all of her adult life. she has been beaten to near death many times. she's been in and out of multiple rehabs and psychiatric hospitals since being a teenager. she is currently recovering from yet another assault from a former "lover". for the holidays she will have a drain in her scalp from the contusion which is abscessed. she is unstable on her feet and couldn't help me carry her food and gifts because of the concussion she suffered when her head was slammed multiple times against a tile floor.
these are people who are grateful for any shred they are given. they are completely overlooked by most of society; if not discriminated against (did i happen to mention that all of my clients have HIV/AIDS?).
so on my drive back to the office i have a head full of things...
i think how sad it is that there are people who feel they have nothing to celebrate. they are so demoralized they cannot see a way out. i think about the contrast of this richy-rich town and how they treat their poor. i think about how nice it would be if my folks could just have a "day off" from their lives-to just be able to relax and not worry about their next meal.
but most of all i think of the explosion of pure joy that happens when i get to be the one to bring these folks the only gifts they may receive all season (if not all year).
i get the privilege of showing them that not everyone has forgotten about them.
it kind of makes me want to get back to work...
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